Jazz's Wave
by Autobot Guardian
Summary: When two individuals are on the same side of a war, it's hard to start a family. When they are on opposite sides, it's hard to keep even a pre-war family together. But what happens when the hands of fate start to meddle, and events are put into play to bring a family together again? Rated K for violence. Rating may go up.
1. The New Arrival(s)

**_Hello, everyone! This is Autobot Guardian, and I've just got a few things to say. First of all, this is a fic that I'm writing because I wanted to write a fic that delves deeper into the Soundwave/Jazz pairing that I love so much now! Second, this fic doesn't just include the aforementioned pairing, but also pairings between other characters, both OC and Canon. These include Sunstreaker/Prowl, Sideswipe/Pixie, Smokescreen Sr./Harmony, Blueflare/Drift, Protocol/Blurr, and Crystalline/Springer. Also, I'm going to include a list of family members that are related/bonded to certain 'Bots, even if it will create major spoilers._**

 ** _Sunstreaker: Prowl (bondmate), Sideswipe (twin), Blueflare (older sister), Huntress (daughter), Smokescreen Jr. (nephew), Smokescreen Sr. (brother-in-law), Pixie (adoptive sister and sister-in-law), Bluestreak (brother-in-law)._**

 ** _Smokescreen Sr.: Harmony (bondmate), Smokescreen Jr. (son), Prowl (twin), Bluestreak (younger brother), Jazz (brother-in-law), Sunstreaker (brother-in-law), Protocol (younger sister), Yin-Yang (niece), Huntress (niece), Sideswipe (technically brother-in-law due to being Sunstreaker's split-spark twin)._**

 ** _Jazz: Soundwave (bondmate), Yin-Yang (daughter), Laserbeak (stepdaughter), Ravage (stepson), Rumble (stepson), Frenzy (stepson), Buzzsaw (stepson), Harmony (younger sister), Smokescreen Sr. (brother-in-law), Smokescreen Jr. (nephew), Blaster (brother-in-law), Prowl (technically brother-in-law since he is Smokescreen Sr.'s split-spark twin)._**

 ** _DISCLAIMERS!_**

 ** _The Author does not own Transformers or the characters associated with it, only most of the OCs. Pixie belongs to ChaosDancer12! Please no flames. Flames are for fireplaces, not for comments. Any intolerable reviews will be given to Sunstreaker to torch. R &R!_**

 **0o0o0o0o0**

Soundwave had always tried to make sure that his Lord Megatron's plans would go, well, according to plan, and to remain loyal to his master, but ironically, it was a false assumption of his loyalty, which had never been questioned before, that led to his downfall. Only a few minutes before Megatron attacked his faithful TIC in a fit of rage brought on by a feeling of betrayal, Soundwave had found out that there was a virus in his system that was transmitting the entirety of the Iacon Database to the Autobots. He tried to explain to his master that he had had no idea he was infected with such a virus, but his pleas and explanations fell upon audios that were deaf with rage.

Now, the broken TIC lay unmoving in a dark forest, bleeding from numerous wounds, and unconscious. Wary animals stayed at a safe distance from him, while his symbiote, Laserbeak, hovered worriedly above him. They had both become outcasts, left to die in the wilderness, and the possibility of death seemed extremely probable… if not for the Autobots that arrived about an hour after they were dumped there.

"Guys, are you sure that there's an energon signal out here?" Laserbeak twittered nervously, recognizing the vocal patterns of the rookie Autobot mech named Smokescreen. Then, another, more feminine, voice responded to the first.

"We're sure, Smokescreen. It's only a little ways ahead of us now, so keep your optics peeled for any signs of an opening of some kind that we can use to get to it." It was obviously Arcee, the only femme on the planet besides Airachnid, and by far the more honorable of the two. Also notorious for holding long-lasting grudges against Decepticons.

"But how are we going to find an opening in this dark forest? It's almost pitch-black in here!" Smokescreen again, and a quick, snappy reply from the femmebot soon followed.

"You have night vision, don't you? It's a standard upgrade for Elite Guard members. Just turn it on and you'll be able to see relatively well, if not better if you have more than the most basic night vision."

"Oh, right." Silence followed, broken only by the sounds of at least three Autobots making their way through the trees. Laserbeak didn't even care that they were Autobots anymore, she just wanted help for her carrier. And so, she flew right towards the source of the soft noise, and was immediately met by a blaster being leveled at her face. She froze, hovering mid-air, just a foot away from the blaster belonging to the Autobot named Bulkhead. Twittering anxiously, she extended her tentacles to grab onto the big green Wrecker, trying to pull him towards where she had left Soundwave.

"Hey, guys, what's Laserbeak doing?" Bulkhead looked over at his comrades with a nervous expression, but looked back at the mini-con when her twittering became more urgent.

"It… looks like she's trying to get you to follow her." Smokescreen sounded uncertain, but then Laserbeak let go of Bulkhead, and flew over to the Praxian, tugging on his arm instead. "Should… should I follow her?"

"Not without backup, Rookie." Arcee's voice had a wary tone in it, and Laserbeak started to lead the trio of Autobots to where she had left her Carrier, still holding onto Smokescreen's right arm with her tentacles.

 **0o0o0o0o0**

Smokescreen was a bit nervous about letting a Decepticon take him somewhere, but Laserbeak had seemed extremely agitated when she had come to them, and he found himself wishing that the mini-con could actually _talk_ instead of just make little electronic twitters. The little flyer was still holding onto his right arm, though not tightly enough to hurt, and leading them in a certain direction.

"Hey… she's taking us to where the energon signal is!" Bulkhead's surprised exclamation caused Smokescreen's optics to widen in shock, and he turned his head back to look at the Wrecker.

"Really? Do you think you know why?" Suddenly, he was stopped by Arcee putting a hand out in front of his chest, and when he looked at her to ask why, he was surprised by Laserbeak letting go of his arm and going to hover over a dark, angular form lying completely still on the ground. "Is… is that who I think it is?"

"Soundwave?!" Bulkhead then hurried over to the prone form, ignoring Arcee's cautious warnings to stay back, and immediately started to examine the mech lying on the ground. Spurred on by curiosity, Smokescreen pushed past Arcee, and knelt down next to Soundwave's still form.

The Decepticons' Communications Officer was badly wounded, with large blast marks on his torso, and numerous cuts all over him, his visor badly cracked. He was leaking energon profusely, a pool of the life-giving substance already having formed around him. Smokescreen, not used to the horrors of war like the others were, felt like he was going to purge his tanks. The worst part, at least to the rookie, was that the 'Con was so utterly _still_. The only movement he could detect from the ex-Gladiator, and even then just barely, was the shallow rise and fall of his chestplates as he breathed.

"W-what are we going to do? We can't just _leave him here_!" Smokescreen looked to the two more experienced soldiers for help, his spark feeling like it was going to shatter from seeing Soundwave so utterly broken. Bulkhead's expression was worried, his baby blue optics studying the 'Con intently. Arcee's expression was torn, as if half of her wanted to help, but the other half wanted to let the Decepticon die there. Then, purely by chance, the rookie glanced over at Laserbeak, who was hovering worriedly over her carrier. Seeing that spark-breaking scene, Smokescreen made up his mind. "I'm calling Ratchet for medical support."

 **0o0o0o0o0**

Laserbeak was ecstatic. The rookie Autobot, Smokescreen, was calling their team medic to help Soundwave! She had been worried for a while there that the Autobots would refuse to help her carrier, but now she wished that she could speak, so as to properly thank the pure-sparked rookie for his kindness. Even so, she flew over to him, and wrapped her tentacles around him in a hug, twittering happily and trying to convey just how great she thought he was for that one, simple act of kindness. Smokescreen chuckled nervously, obviously not having expected her reaction, but nevertheless placed a calming hand on her back, obviously smiling.

"It's going to be okay, Laserbeak. Ratchet will patch Soundwave up good as new, you'll see." The symbiote twittered happily at him in reply, hugging him slightly tighter, and then letting go entirely to hover over her carrier once more. Then, a groundbridge opened up nearby, and the white and orange form of Ratchet came into the clearing.

"Primus…" The medic hurried over, and gently shooed Laserbeak away from Soundwave's still form, getting to work on his injuries after he had room. The symbiote flew back over to Smokescreen, and landed on his shoulder, wanting comfort now that she knew for sure that the medic would help her carrier. In response, the kind-sparked rookie took her into his arms, stroking her back with one hand in a soothing gesture. Then, a feminine voice spoke up.

"Ratchet, how bad is it?" Arcee's voice had surprised them all, save for the unconscious Soundwave, that much was obvious to the symbiote.

"I've got him stabilized for now, but I'm going to have to put him in a regeneration tank. If I don't, then Soundwave will surely perish." That caused Laserbeak to twitter fearfully, to which Smokescreen gently hushed her while stroking her back again.

"It's going to be okay, Laserbeak… Ratch' won't let Soundwave die without one Pit of a fight." The symbiote felt a bit better at this, with the knowledge that if her carrier _was_ to die, it would only be after the medic did everything he could to save him. Then, after the medic commed the secret Autobot base for a groundbridge back, he and the green Wrecker, Bulkhead, carefully lifted Soundwave up off of the ground, and carried him through the swirling vortex, followed soon after by Arcee and Smokescreen, who was still carrying the symbiote…

 **0o0o0o0o0**

"Ratchet, what happened out there?" A little brown-haired boy with glasses leaned over the rail that was on the edge of the humans' platform in the base, looking worriedly at the inert form of Soundwave, carried between the medic and Bulkhead.

"Arcee, Bulkhead and Smokescreen found Soundwave and Laserbeak alone in the forest. Apparently, the energon signal we were picking up was from what leaked out of Soundwave's wounds. And it's lucky that we _did_ pick it up." Ratchet then proceeded to help Bulkhead carry the Decepticon to the med bay, where he would place Soundwave into their sole regeneration tank. The small boy, Rafael, watched them go, and then turned his attention to the symbiote that Smokescreen held in his arms.

"That's Laserbeak?" Smokescreen looked up from where he was comforting the little 'Con, and nodded.

"Yeah. She's pretty upset right now, though. I'm not surprised…" The rookie sounded so dejected, as if he thought that Soundwave getting hurt was his fault, even though he had nothing to do with his injuries whatsoever. It was then that Raf realized that Smokescreen, though a bit immature and rowdy, had a level of compassion that rivaled Optimus.

"Hey, I'm sure that Ratchet's going to get Soundwave fixed up. He's the best!" Little Raf smiled encouragingly at the pair, and Laserbeak twittered softly in reply. It was going to be a while until they heard back from the medic…

 **0o0o0o0o0**

 **A Few Days Later…**

Laserbeak hadn't moved out of the med bay since she had been allowed to go in to see her carrier. Soundwave was floating in a cylindrical tank of glowing pink liquid, tubes connected to his frame, and moving around slightly as he dreamed. His symbiote had refused to leave the room, much to Ratchet's annoyance, but nobody could blame her for her attachment to her carrier. Strangely enough, Smokescreen had been bringing energon to the little 'Con every day since she had started 'camping out' in there. And this day, he was right on time, as usual.

"Hey, Laserbeak, I got you your energon." The rookie Autobot walked in with a small energon cube in his right hand, and set it down onto the crate that the symbiote was perched on, right in front of said symbiote. Laserbeak twittered gratefully in response, and then extended her tentacles, latching onto the cube to ingest the energon. Once it was drained, the symbiote went back to watching her sleeping carrier, this time joined by Smokescreen. She twittered worriedly, unsure why he was still unconscious.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Smokescreen looked at the little 'Con out of the corner of his optics, and was rewarded with a twitter of assent. "I knew it. Hey, he's going to be just fine, you hear me? Ratch' said that he's doing much better, and that he's probably going to wake up within the next couple of days."

At this Laserbeak twittered happily, and started to fly around Smokescreen's head with joy. When she was tired of that, she hugged the Autobot with her tentacles, still twittering, and then perched on his shoulder. Smokescreen chuckled at the little 'Con's antics, and simply reached up to pet her.

"You know, you're not too bad once someone gets to know you. You're… more like a youngling than anything else." The rookie's comment earned a questioning twitter from Laserbeak, and he continued. "The way you act… it's more like how a youngling would act than an adult that's angry at the universe. Believe me, I've had firsthand experience with both back on Cybertron. My uncle Sunstreaker often gets really mad, but he obviously holds himself back a lot of the time. He doesn't want to hurt anyone. Sadly, he's pretty angry at the universe for all he's been through in his life…"

Laserbeak twittered in understanding, remembering what her brother, Ravage, had told her about what had happened with the Autobot twins Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in the Pits of Kaon, since Soundwave and those two had been owned by the same mech. So, this rookie was Sunstreaker's nephew? Interesting…

Suddenly, the Autobot medic came into the room, and the symbiote could _swear_ that he was smiling at them a little. But he didn't say a word. Instead, he went over to the machines that were hooked up to Soundwave, and started to take notes on the readouts with his datapad.

"How is he doing now, Ratchet?" The medic looked over when he heard Smokescreen speak, and smiled.

"It looks like he's going to wake up sooner than expected. Stay here and watch over him with Laserbeak, just in case he wakes up today. I'll send Bumblebee in to take your place in a few hours." Smokescreen nodded in understanding, and Laserbeak felt at ease with this decision. Bumblebee was another Autobot with a spark of gold, even though it was thanks to Megatron that he could not speak normally. Surprisingly, the yellow and black Praxian couldn't hold a grudge.

"Well, Laserbeak, looks like I'm going to be camping out with you today."

 **0o0o0o0o0**

 **A Few Hours Later…**

Smokescreen looked over at the door when he heard it slide open, and saw Bumblebee walking into the room. "Hey, 'Bee! Come for the Soundwave-watching shift?"

 _~Yeah! Did Laserbeak behave for you?~_ Bumblebee cocked his head in interest, and Smokescreen laughed light-heartedly.

"She always behaves for me! Come on, sit down. I'm going to stay here for a little bit longer since Laserbeak decided to take a nap on my lap, but I don't want you to get in trouble with Ratchet for being late." Smokescreen patted the spot next to him on the crate, and the yellow and black scout happily sat down.

 _~So, seen any signs of Soundwave waking up yet?~_ Smokescreen nodded.

"Yeah, he seems to twitch occasionally, like how my uncle Sideswipe does when he's starting to wake up." Smokescreen turned his attention back to the tank that Soundwave was floating in, watching as the 'Con twitched every now and then, signaling his slow return to consciousness. Suddenly, the dark purple mech jerked violently, and his head started to move around wildly as he realized where he was. Immediately, Smokescreen was on his comm. "Ratchet! Soundwave just woke up, and it looks like he's having a panic attack!"

* _I'm on my way! Try to get him to calm down in the meantime!_ * Smokescreen thought frantically, trying to figure out a way to get Soundwave to calm down, when he remembered the sleeping symbiote on his lap. Scooping Laserbeak up into his arms, he hurried over to the tank, and tapped on the glass, trying to get Soundwave's attention.

"Hey! HEY! Over here, Soundwave!" Smokescreen held the still-sleepy little 'Con up level with Soundwave's visor, and when the ex-Gladiator looked over, he visibly calmed down at the sight of his symbiote. "Yeah, it's okay, you're safe, Laserbeak's safe. Everything is going to be just fine…"

Suddenly, Ratchet rushed into the room, and Soundwave jerked again, seemingly startled by the arrival of the medic. However, he calmed down quickly when Smokescreen got his attention focused back on Laserbeak. Meanwhile, Optimus and the others came into the medical bay, all of them save for the Prime wary of the fact that Soundwave was now awake.

"How is he doing, Ratchet?" The medic turned to look at Optimus, and motioned towards the equipment he had been working at.

"Readouts show that he's well enough to come out of the tank. I'll need someone to catch him, though, since he's still very weak." Nodding in understanding, the Prime went over to the tank, and waited. Soundwave didn't pay any attention to him, as he had his hands pressed up against the glass near Laserbeak, his visor showing a smiley face as he looked at his creation. Suddenly, at least to him, the liquid started to drain out of the tank, and he braced himself against the glass walls as he felt the effects of gravity again. Soon, the glass receded into the floor, and he stumbled forward, but was caught by the Prime before he could fall to the ground.

"Easy, there. I've got you." Soundwave looked up at the Prime warily, knowing that, if he wanted to, the Prime could easily kill him at that moment. Then, he saw the medic, Ratchet, bringing a gurney over, obviously to take him to a solid berth for more treatment for his injuries. He didn't fight back as the Prime lifted him onto the gurney, partially from his weakness and partially from caution, and was gladdened when the Autobot rookie allowed Laserbeak to fly over to him. The symbiote twittered happily, and told him in their special carrier-creation language that she had been the one to secure help from the Autobots. He flooded their family bond with pride and gratitude, knowing just how brave his daughter had to be to risk everything to gain help from the Autobots. Then, to his surprise, the sole femme of the Autobot team rushed out of the room, and came back a few minutes later with a smirk on her face.

"Optimus, I just received a message on a secret Autobot frequency. It's the twins. They're coming! Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, along with Prowl, Huntress, the older Smokescreen, Bluestreak, Blueflare, Crystalline, Protocol, Pixie, Blaster and his symbiotes, Ironhide, First Aid and his brothers, Silverbolt and _his_ brothers, Ultra Magnus, Harmony, Jazz, and Yin-Yang! They're all coming!" Soundwave became interested when he heard those last two names, but he hid it well. Then, the green Wrecker, Bulkhead, spoke up.

"We're going to need a bigger base."

 **0o0o0o0o0**

 **Three Days Later…**

Optimus had gotten in contact with Special Agent William Fowler, requesting a new base to help them accommodate their soon-to-be growing numbers. Autobot Outpost Omega One was a nice base, but it was also rather small. They needed a place that could house at least 40 Autobots in it, just in case more decided to come as well. Luckily, Fowler was able to pull some strings with his higher-ups to get a much larger base for them all.

"The new base that we're giving you is a very large ex-military base that nobody outside of Unit E knows about. It's in the Rockies, and has enough space to house fifty 'Bots the size of Prime, with two giant underground chambers that can fit giant spaceships in them. They've got hidden doors that can open up to allow entrance, so I don't think that your new guys will have a problem hiding their vessels. Uh… how big _are_ they, though?" The Government agent looked nervously at Optimus, who smiled reassuringly.

"I think you would have to talk to the captains of the two ships to get that information, Agent Fowler. Arcee, could you bring up Sunstreaker and Ultra Magnus on the monitor screen?"

"Right away, Optimus." Arcee put in the required comm. numbers needed to contact the two requested mechs, and soon there were two Autobot mechs on the screen. One was gold and ebony in color, though mostly gold, and had a handsome face and rather unique features. The other one, though, was larger, and had a stern expression, looking unnervingly like Optimus in build. Then, the Prime addressed the two mechs on-screen.

"Sunstreaker, Ultra Magnus, I would like you to meet Special Agent William Fowler, our liaison with one of the governments of Earth. Agent Fowler, these are two of my best soldiers, Sunstreaker and Ultra Magnus." Before the human could respond, the gold and ebony mech on the right side of the screen chuckled.

* _Prime, it's good to see you again. And hello, Agent Fowler. In case you didn't figure it out, I'm Sunstreaker. I look forward to meeting you in person, and I hope that we can get along on good terms._ * The Special Agent was surprised at this respectful tone he was receiving from the golden mech, Sunstreaker, after the rumors about him that he had heard from Arcee.

"And I look forward to meeting you in person as well, soldier. I've heard a lot about you, some of which I'm not sure if I believe." Sunstreaker chuckled at this, his sapphire optics sparkling with a mix of amusement and mischief.

* _Oh, believe me, you'll soon find that most if not all of what you heard about me is true._ * Then, the other mech on-screen, who must have been Ultra Magnus, spoke up in an irritated tone.

* _Sunstreaker, please do not monopolize the conversation with the Agent. Do you want me to discipline you again?_ * At this, Sunstreaker merely laughed, though it was obvious that he was glaring at Ultra Magnus on his own monitor screen.

* _You can't do that, since I technically outrank you. Not to mention that I'm bonded to one of Prime's SICs. A simple Commander does not have any sort of authority over Prime's personal guards._ * At this, Fowler stared at the two mechs that were on-screen in shock, then looked at Prime accusingly.

"Prime, you never told me about this!" Optimus gave a long-suffering sigh, and knelt down to get a better look at the Agent.

"I had not told you about Sunstreaker being one of my personal guards because of two very good reasons. The first is that very few know of his status, and the other is that before Arcee received the message that he and the others were coming, I had no idea if he was alive or not." Fowler thought that he made a good point, and turned his attention back to the two 'Bots on-screen without saying a word. Then, he was surprised by seeing Sunstreaker, who up until then had been smiling and surprisingly easy-going, scowling at something. He wasn't looking directly at the screen in front of him, though. It was as if he was staring through it, his optics unfocused. Then, his attention snapped back to the screen, a scowl still on his face.

* _Prime, why didn't you tell me that you have two 'Cons near you right now?!_ * This shocked everyone else, but then Smokescreen spoke up for the first time.

"How did you know about that, Uncle?" Sunstreaker smiled at that, his gaze softening when he heard his nephew's voice, and sighed.

* _I've got a spark-reading Sigma Ability. I can sense sparks in an extremely wide radius, and I'm currently detecting two 'Cons that are staying in one place near where you guys are._ *

"That's just Soundwave and Laserbeak. We found them in the woods about a week and a half ago, and Soundwave was pretty beat up." Sunstreaker smiled proudly at his nephew, having already guessed what else had transpired.

* _And you took them in to help them. Good job, Smokey Jr._ * Smokescreen chuckled nervously at the name, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Come on, Uncle, why do you keep calling me that?" Everyone else was thoroughly enjoying the rookie's embarrassment, including Ultra Magnus.

* _'Cause your father is in the Command Center with me right now, and is currently hearing everything we're saying. I don't want him to get confused as to which Smokescreen I'm referring to._ * Everyone laughed at this, including several that were off-screen on Sunstreaker's end. Then, a black and white Praxian mech with a gold visor came up beside the gold warrior, a neutral expression on his face.

* _Sunny, we've detected another ship near our position. Decepticon. I recommend that we have Ultra Magnus dock in our ship so that our full-spectrum cloaking field will hide him from view._ *

* _Good idea, Prowl. Magnus, you got that?_ *

* _Indeed. I will swing around and land in your docking bay. I will join you in the Command Center shortly._ * Ultra Magnus' visual feed cut out, and the computer screen was filled with the visual feed on Sunstreaker's end, revealing more of his Command Center. There were a few mechs and femmes at stations there, including a Praxian mech that looked startlingly like the younger Smokescreen. One of the femmes that were there also looked Praxian, but was obviously a two-wheeler, and looked strangely similar to Prowl. Then, Fowler spoke up.

"So, while we're waiting for Magnus to come back, would you care to introduce me to your crew?" Sunstreaker looked at Fowler with surprise in his optics, but then smiled.

* _Gladly. However, some of them are currently very busy, so you'll get the full introductions later. Yo, Protocol! Over here!_ * Sunstreaker's sudden shout caused the black and white femme with red highlights to look over in surprise, and then she strode over confidently.

* _Yes, Sunstreaker?_ *

* _I'd like you to meet Agent Fowler. Fowler, this is my sister-in-law, Protocol, a member of the Cybertronian band called Rockin' Death. She's the drummer, and also a strategist to rival her brother, Prowl._ *

* _It's nice to meet you, Agent Fowler._ *

"Likewise." Then, what Sunstreaker said clicked. "Wait, 'sister-in-law'? How does that work?"

Sunstreaker chuckled, while Prowl gave a long-suffering sigh. Suddenly, a red and black mech popped up in the screen. * _Hi, I'm Sideswipe! Since my twin bro and his bonded seem to be a bit at a loss as to how to explain this, I'll do it! When two 'Bots really like each other…_ *

Suddenly, Sunstreaker's fist flew at the smart-alecky mech that was apparently his brother, knocking him onto the floor and out of sight of the others.

* _Please forgive my idiotic twin brother for his stupidity. Sometimes, it's like he's just a big sparkling. Now, since I know that you are probably not that familiar with Cybertronian physiology, I'll try to explain the best that I can about bondmates. To put it simply, it's like being married in your culture, but for us it's permanent. We literally join our sparks, our very life forces, and forge an unbreakable bond that remains until death, and sometimes doesn't even break then._ * Fowler looked a bit confused by this, but it was then that Ratchet spoke up.

"Yes, and Sunstreaker is actually what could be considered an expert on bonds, since he's got so many bonds himself, both direct and indirect."

"Wait, wait, wait… direct? Indirect? What's the difference between these 'bonds' that you're talking about?" Sunstreaker sighed again, and seemed to gather his composure for what would probably be a long explanation.

* _Okay, and this is where it's going to get complicated. A direct bond is one that you share directly with another mech or femme, such as twin bonds, sibling bonds, bonds between sparkmates, and bonds between parent and offspring, as well as those cases when a mech or femme with a carrier frame type forges a Carrier Bond with another Cybertronian. However, these are not the only bonds that one can have. An indirect bond is, to put it simply, a bond that one has access to through a mech or femme they share a direct bond with. For instance, I am bonded to Prowl directly, for I am his bondmate. However, because of that, I share an indirect bond with his brothers and sister, as well as my nephew Smokescreen Jr. I also share an indirect bond with Smokey Jr.'s mother, Harmony, who is also Jazz's little sister, so I share an indirect bond with him, as well as whoever_ his _bondmate is, and his daughter, Yin-Yang._ *

"That's… a lot of indirect bonds." Fowler looked like he had just found out something so mind-blowing, he couldn't say anything else. Then, the door to Sunstreaker's command center opened, and Ultra Magnus strode through.

* _I am sorry for the delay. Did I miss anything important?_ *

* _Not at all, Magnus. I was just giving the Agent a crash-course in Cybertronian spark-bonds. What took you so long, anyway?_ * The larger mech on-screen looked distinctly uncomfortable, and then heaved a sigh.

* _I got lost._ * Silence. Then, all of a sudden, there was the sound of maniacal laughter on Sunstreaker's end, and he aimed a glare down at the floor.

* _Shut up, Sides! Want me to knock you out again?!_ * Fowler was astonished at this rapid shift in demeanor on the part of the golden mech, and even though he was talking to them over the vid. comm, he backed up a few steps in fear. Then, Sunstreaker took a few deep breaths, visibly calming down. * _Sorry if I scared you. I… have problems of my own._ *

"That's understandable, soldier. You've been fighting in a war for thousands of years, so I don't blame you for losing your temper every now and then." To his surprise, one of the femmes in Sunstreaker's command center snorted in amusement, and walked over to where the golden warrior was sitting at the comm. screen. She was one of the taller femmes, obviously able to turn into some kind of four-wheeled vehicle, and was colored in forest green and pink, with a medium pink visor over her optics, and a smirk on her face.

*' _Every now and then'? 'Losing his temper'? Try 'a volatile bomb that goes off at least twice every day', and you'll understand what my dear Sunny goes through. He's got a bit of old processor damage that he got in the Pits of Kaon, specifically in his personality component where he determines reactions to emotions. Whenever a strong negative emotion such as grief, anger, or sadness take hold, they are magnified at least ten times over, causing him to overreact a lot of the time. If it's only a slight amount of those emotions, he can handle it, but otherwise…_ * The femme trailed off, her unspoken implications hitting the Special Agent hard.

"So… why didn't anyone fix him?" In response to Fowler's innocent question, Ratchet growled.

"You think I haven't tried?! Processors are very delicate things, and it's very dangerous to mess with them! The fact that Sunstreaker had retained that damage ever since his first fight in the Gladiator Arenas, having joined the Autobots many years after that first fight, made it even harder! At this point, it's currently impossible to repair such old damage to such a delicate component!"

"Just asking…" Sunstreaker smiled sadly at the man in understanding, and then his expression grew serious.

* _So, could any of you give me the coordinates of whatever base I'm supposed to be landing at? It's a waste of energon to keep this bird in the air right now._ *

"Of course, Sunstreaker. Also, we're moving bases, so I'll have Fowler give you the coordinates of the new base. Fowler?" Optimus held out his hand for the Agent to hop on, which the man did so, and then carried him over to where little Raf was seated off-camera. After Fowler gave the tween the coordinates for the new base, the boy typed them in, and sent them through the connection that Ratchet's much larger computer had established with Sunstreaker's ship.

* _Okay, coordinates received, and we'll see you there. New Light, out._ * With that, Sunstreaker shut off the connection, and the screen went back to its normal display.

 **0o0o0o0o0**

 ** _Okay, I'm sorry, but I'll have to end the chapter here! The next chapter will take place a little farther ahead from this one, so be ready for a timeskip! Until next time, readers!_**


	2. New Base, Confessions Included

_**Hi, again! Time for another chappy! I'm going to try to delve deeper into the eons-long relationship between Jazz and Soundwave in this chapter, but I'm not exactly sure how it will turn out. If you guys hadn't figured it out yet, I am a notorious free-hand writer, so I don't have a set plot. So I'm playing this by ear, so to speak. The 'Bots are also moving into their new base in the Rockies, so I'm excited to write that as well! Also, I'm having to re-write this thing, since someone unplugged my computer and made me lose all of my progress. I'm betting it was one of my parents. Ugh. Well, it's time for the…**_

 _ **DISCLAIMERS!**_

 _ **The author does not own Transformers: Prime, nor any of the canon characters affiliated with the Transformers franchise. I only own MOST of the OCs. Pixie belongs to my good friend ChaosDancer12, as does the sparkling Quickflash.**_

 _ **Please remember to Read & Review!**_

 **0o0o0o0o0**

Soundwave stirred in his sleep, wanting to continue to recharge, but the gentle, insistent shaking of his shoulder was slowly bringing him to consciousness. Figures that, when he had been having the best recharge since just before the war, someone would interrupt it.

"Come on, Soundwave, wake up! It's time to take you to the new base!" It was the Autobot Rookie, Smokescreen. At least he was being considerate enough to be gentle enough not to aggravate his still-healing wounds. The ex-'Con sat up groggily, and looked at the young Praxian in vague annoyance. "Okay, you're awake now, so how about I help you walk to the groundbridge?"

The Ex-'Con nodded reluctantly, knowing full well that he wasn't quite strong enough to walk on his own yet. The shorter Praxian helped him off of the medical berth, and slung his arm around his shoulders to support the taller mech. Soundwave's legs had nearly given out under him when he first stood up, and was grateful when Smokescreen put an arm around his torso to give him further support to help him to stand.

Slowly, they made their way to the groundbridge portal, where Ratchet was waiting for them impatiently. "What took you two so long?!"

"Took a little while to wake him up. I wasn't really trying very hard since I didn't want to make his injuries worse." Soundwave looked at Smokescreen in surprise, not having expected him to take the blame onto himself instead of shoving it off onto someone who was once an enemy. Nevertheless, Ratchet's expression softened, and he nodded in understanding.

"Then go on through, I'll be there as soon as I retrieve the medical berth." The CMO walked past them, leaving the open groundbridge, and went towards the old med bay to get said berth. After Ratchet was gone, Smokescreen looked up at Soundwave.

"You ready for this?" Soundwave nodded in affirmation, not really wanting to talk, as usual. Together, with Smokescreen supporting the taller mech, they walked through the swirling portal…

 **0o0o0o0o0**

When they came out on the other side, they were immediately stopped by the famous Autobot Twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. The twins both looked wary of the ex-'Con, though not as much as Smokescreen would have expected them to be. Sunstreaker then walked right up to Soundwave, and stared right into his visor with his piercing sapphire blue optics. Soundwave then got the distinct feeling that the warrior was staring right into his spark, which was unnerving to say the least. Then, after about a minute, Sunstreaker backed off, and the twins got out of their way.

"Thanks, Uncle Sunny." Smokescreen's comment was met by a soft growl from the golden warrior, but when Soundwave peered at him out of the corner of his visor, there was a soft smile on the warrior's face.

As they made their way through the corridors, they passed several other Autobots, most of whom glared at the ex-'Con in disgust. The only two that hadn't looked at Soundwave like that had been the Prime and the Wrecker named Bulkhead. Secretly, Soundwave was glad that they hadn't come across his older brother, Blaster, in the corridors, for he didn't want to face him quite yet. However, he was saddened that they hadn't seen Jazz or Yin-Yang on the way to the new med bay.

Nevertheless, they arrived at the med bay without too much trouble, and Smokescreen immediately took him to a private room where he wouldn't be bothered by anyone. The ex-'Con was grateful for the gesture of kindness, and was soon passed out on the berth in the small room, exhausted by all the excitement. After all, he was still a healing mech.

 **0o0o0o0o0**

After Smokescreen left Soundwave in the private recovery room, he walked out, only to almost literally run into Blaster, who had been heading towards the med bay.

"Whoa, sorry, Smokes! I didn't see ya there!" Blaster looked at the young Praxian worriedly, but Smokescreen simply smiled.

"It's okay, Blaster. I wasn't really watching where I was going either. What are you doing here, though? Are your guys okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine, but I was wondering if I could visit Soundwave…" Smokescreen frowned at this, and shook his head.

"I don't think so. He just fell asleep, and he needs his rest. Why are you so concerned about him, anyway?" Blaster looked uncomfortable at this, but heaved a sigh.

"He's my younger brother. I've been worried about him ever since the war started and we ended up on opposite factions. My guys are the cousins of his guys, and they're currently catching up with Laserbeak."

"Wait, 'his guys'? As in, he's got more than one?" Smokescreen's expression morphed from one of confusion to one of shock, only having encountered Laserbeak before.

"Yeah. Through the war, more and more of my bro's guys went missing, until he only had Beaky left. I tried to search for them myself, but I couldn't find 'em. I wish I did, though…" Blaster looked crestfallen, and then perked up. "So, while Soundy is getting his beauty sleep, how about I take you to see your parents? They've been worried about you."

"Sure! Come on, Blaster!" Smokescreen started bouncing on his heels, wanting to see his parents again after so long, and the taller Carrier mech laughed.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'." The two of them started to walk down the corridor together, smiling all the way. Suddenly, to their surprise, they heard the wailing of what _sounded_ like a sparkling!

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Quickflash! It's okay, I've got your energon right here!" Curious as to why Sideswipe was talking to someone that wasn't mentioned by Arcee when she told Team Prime about who all was arriving on Earth, Smokescreen came over to the open, door, where several others were approaching to see what all the fuss was about. What they saw stunned them.

Sideswipe was in the room, cradling a small forest green and black form in one arm, and holding a Cybertronian baby bottle full of sparkling-grade energon in the other hand. The little sparkling was wailing with hunger, and Sideswipe looked like he was at his wit's end.

"Come on, Quickflash, I've got your energon! Here!" Sideswipe brushed the tip of the bottle against the sparkling's mouth, and the little mech latched onto it instantly, greedily sucking the energon out of the bottle. The thoughts of the watching mechs were summed up by Ratchet.

"Oh, Primus, no! Sideswipe reproduced! RUN FOR YOUR SPARKS!"

 **0o0o0o0o0**

 **After Everyone Stopped Panicking…**

"So, Blaster… what was it we were doing again?" Smokescreen looked up at the Carrier mech, who looked like he was trying to figure that out himself.

"Uh… oh, yeah! We were going to go see your parents! Come on, I'll show you to their quarters." The flame-colored mech put a hand on the rookie's shoulder, and started to guide him down the residential corridor. Soon, they had arrived at a specific door, and Blaster pressed the buzzer that acted as a doorbell.

"You may enter." The voice from beyond the door was feminine, and exceedingly familiar to Smokescreen. The door opened, and the rookie ran in, and found his mother and father standing together in the main room.

"Mother! Father!"

"Junior! It's good to see you in person again!" A royal blue femme, with a head decoration resembling shaggy human bangs swept to one side and colored in orange and yellow, walked forward, and wrapped her arms around her only son.

"It's good to see you too, Mom." Smokescreen looked into his mother's crystal blue visor, a smile on his face. Then, there was a hand on his shoulder, and the young Praxian looked up to see his father, Smokescreen Sr. "Good to see you too, Dad."

"Ditto, Junior. Have you been behaving for Optimus and his team?" The older Smokescreen quirked an optic ridge at his son, who looked a little nervous. "Well?"

"Uh… heh… funny story about that, actually… I, uh…" Then, Smokescreen Jr. caught the teasing sparkle in his father's optics. "Hey! You were teasing me!"

"That's right, son! Optimus already told me about how great you've been doing! I mean, using a Phase Shifter to kick Starscream out of the Apex Armor? That was hilarious!" Smokey Sr. laughed, clapping his son on the shoulder, and then looked over at Blaster. "Heard that your younger brother was brought into the med bay, Blaster. I hope he gets to feeling better."

"Thanks, Smokey. I haven't been able to see him yet, but I heard from the ol' Hatchet that he's been doing better. Sounders is a tough mech, he'll be better before this lunar cycle is over, I'm sure!" Blaster was smiling, but Smokey Jr. looked sad.

"You didn't see how bad it was, Blaster…" he whispered, looking down at the floor. "He had to be put in a regeneration tank for about a week, it was so bad…"

"Smokey, what happened to Soundwave was _not your fault_ ," Sunstreaker's sudden entrance caused everyone to jump in surprise, and when they all turned to look at him, they saw that his expression was slightly pained. "If anything, all that's happened to him since Sides and I bought our own freedom is _my_ fault. He was like a brother to us, and we _left him behind_. It's no wonder he turned 'Con, he probably felt betrayed by us leaving him in the Pits."

"Uncle…"

"No, Jr., hear me out," Sunstreaker held up a hand, silencing his nephew. "I know I've got my own problems, my own issues, but that was no excuse for me to have left Sounders behind like I did. And I've done things… things I'm not proud of, things I never want _anyone_ to have to go through… but I at least had my bondmate and my twin. I had my family. All Sounders had was his sparklings by the time he left the Pits."

The gold warrior's expression was contorted in grief and guilt, while the others simply gaped at him. And yet, he wasn't done.

"His bondmate and eldest youngling had joined the Autobots, but Sounders was a Decepticon. They had separate beliefs, but they were in too deep to be able to stay together without risking the lives of their entire family. So, they cut off all ties… save for the bonds they shared. Sounders, from what I could figure out in-between keeping myself and those I care about from getting killed, had started losing the children he had left with him. Nobody knows where they went or what happened to them, but they just… vanished." Tears started to leak from his optics now, as he remembered the little faces of the sparklings he had helped his Gladiator brother with in the Pits, the faces he may never see again. "Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy, Ratbat… even Laserbeak's twin brother Buzzsaw… they're all gone… Lost among the stars, possibly for forever… It's all my fault, and if Soundwave never forgives me, I won't blame him. I still can't forgive myself…"

 **0o0o0o0o0**

When Soundwave next woke up, it was to find a gold-colored cyberhound curled up next to his side on the berth, sleeping. Looking over to his right, past the cyberhound's head, he could see Sunstreaker absently sketching on a large piece of paper, an expression of grief adorning his features. By the hunched posture, Soundwave guessed the mech had been sitting there for a while.

As he watched silently, the dark-colored mech could see what looked like tear stains on Sunstreaker's cheekplates, and his optics were faintly flickering between sapphire blue and emerald green. That wasn't normal.

"Sunstreaker?" The gold warrior jumped slightly in his seat, startled by hearing a voice that had been silent for Primus only knew how long. He turned to look at Soundwave, relief warring with guilt in his optics.

"Sounders… you feeling okay?" Soundwave nodded, and the gold warrior let out a soft sigh, his optics closing for a few seconds. "That's a relief…"

"Sunstreaker… is something wrong?" The warrior looked over at Soundwave, guilt still present in his tormented sapphire optics.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Sunstreaker's voice was just a hoarse whisper, and Soundwave was taken aback. What was going on in that processor of his?

"Forgive you… for what?" the Ex-Decepticon asked slowly, and Sunstreaker closed his optics, letting his head hang.

"For letting you down, for leaving you alone in the Pits, for not being there, for _letting all this happen_ … for sacrificing our friendship… can you ever forgive me?" At this last part, the gold warrior looked at Soundwave desperately, and the darker mech finally understood. To both their surprise, he chuckled.

"Sunstreaker…" he sighed, shaking his head. "You still think that everything that goes wrong is your fault… There's nothing to forgive, it's not your fault alone."

"But I…"

"No, Sunstreaker… it's as much my fault as it is yours. You made your decision, I made mine. That's how life goes." Soundwave smiled ruefully behind his visor, remembering how the two stronger mechs had treated him like a brother. "It was just one of many tragedies in this war. One of many casualties. Don't blame yourself."

 **0o0o0o0o0**

 _ **A/N : Sorry this took so long to get out! I must be honest, I'd been so busy for the past year or two that I'd totally forgotten about it, and I had to go scrounging around in my files that I had copied onto a flash drive to find this thing! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!**_


End file.
